Yawdserk

Yawdserk: I was at the battle 

The commander-in-chief of the strongest remaining resistance force said yesterday evening he was with his troops throughout the fighting that broke our on Monday to control a strategic mountain base at the Thai border. 

Through the brief telephone interview, Yawdserk, the leader of the Restoration Council of Shan State/ Shan State Army, said, in a fatigued but confident voice, that he was among the defenders of the Loilam (Doidam in Thai) stronghold beginning Monday evening until the battle subsided on Tuesday. 

Although he didn't give much detail, he said the attackers of the mountain between Thailand's Chiangmai Province and Shan State's Mongton Township were LIB 225 (Mongton), LIB 330 (Mongphyak) and IB 43 (Mongpiang). He did not mention any Wa involvement and S.H.A.N. did not press him. 

As for LID 99, he thought that the mobile division from Meikhtila that has its advanced headquarters in Kholam, Kunhing Township, southern Shan State, would be moving down south to attack the Karenni Army that is allied to the Shans. 

"I don't think the fighting's over," he said "It might well bloom into a big offensive." 

The Shan State Army is believed to have other strongholds along the unmarked boundary between Burma and Thailand. 

'One thing I can say is that I'm not going to be a sitting duck for the Burmese by fighting a positional war," he added. 
Yawdserk, a fighting officer since 1980, became famous when, in 1994, he took a Burmese position in Mongkyawt, Mongton Township, that was believed impregnable. 

Observers say there is fear of a large influx of refugees if fighting spreads to other places along the border. 

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A Karen source also reported yesterday of the clashes between a company from the Karen National Liberation Army's 6th Brigade and Rangoon's LIB 202 (Taunggalay) at Luhkohta, south of Myawaddy, near the 6th Brigade's long-abandoned headquarters of Hpalu, beginning 2 November. 

The Burma Army suffered 12 killed (1 column commander included) and 9 wounded on 4 November. The Karens suffered a few wounded, according to him.

"The next day, the enemy brought 4-81mm. and 4-60mm. mortars. Their indiscriminate shelling killed 2 women and wounded 1 man and 1 woman," said the source. 

The battle is still raging, according to the source, with Rangoon bringing in more reinforcements and porters. "The enemy's strength is about 700 plus 300 convict-porters and 200 civilian porters," he said. 

On the Karenni side, Foreign Affairs Officer Saw Doh Say said: "As yet, there are only regular clashes, no significant moves from the enemy have been reported".